Not only was the temperature rising in the small team room above the glistening pool at The Bishop’s School, but the heat outside was rising as well.

Caleb Schultz, a 6-foot-8 senior goalkeeper for the Knights water polo team, couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish about the attention he was getting from teammates, buzzing around the glass doors and windows of the room, doing their best to act nonchalant while shooting him goofy looks.

“I know I’m going to get it,” Schultz said with a smile “I haven’t told anybody about the interview yet, so now I’m expecting it.”

Nearly everything in Schultz’s life these days seems to be about expectations. He juggles the academic pressures of attending Bishop’s while shouldering the weight that comes with manning the goal for a team that has been a staple in the San Diego Section championship picture for decades.

For most students, this would be pressure enough, but Schultz, a Clairemont resident, also faces the pressure that accompanies a family legacy born of athletics.

Schultz’s grandfather is Robert Holm, a respected basketball coach who has worked at the prep, collegiate and professional levels with teams locally and around the world. At the high school level, Holm is best known for guiding the Mount Miguel boys and El Cajon Valley girls teams.

Schultz’s father, Bryan, was a standout prep and collegiate water polo player. His mother, Heidi, played college basketball after helping El Cajon Valley win a high school championship.

Even as a tall kid, Schultz is trying to measure up to a high bar.

“It’s tough for a kid like Caleb,” said Doug Peabody, Bishop’s assistant coach and a family friend. “Your parents were CIF champions, collegiate athletes, your grandfather coached professional basketball in Europe and it doesn’t help you much that you’re 6-8.”

Schultz acknowledged the expectations for an athlete playing a high-profile position for a high-profile team.

“It puts a lot of pressure on me. I used to feel it a lot,” Schultz said. “Now I’m starting to play above it. I’m learning to block it out and just go out and give it everything I have.”

Last season, after Bishop’s rattled off 12 victories in its final 14 games, Schultz held fast during a sudden-death overtime victory over Cathedral Catholic in the Division III semifinals, racking up 13 saves in the 13-12 win that propelled the Knights to the championship game against perennial rival Coronado.

Though Schultz was consistent while making 16 saves in the finals, the Islanders clinched the title with a 9-8 triumph, leaving Schultz and his teammates no choice but to learn from the loss and set their sights on 2012.

“I think the experience from last year is huge,” Schultz said. “I feel more confident now. Maybe I’m a little cockier, but I feel like that experience is why I am one of the best goalies in California and why we’re as strong of a team.”

Schultz is quick to point out the humility he has gained and the motivation the loss has provided for himself and his Bishop’s teammates, who stand 7-4 with the playoffs set to begin next month.